Prefabricated detachable guard rail, particularly for mine tracks



Nov. 7, 1950 s. A. FREDRICK PREFABRICATED DETACHABLE GUARD RAIL, PARTICULARLY FOR MINE TRACKS Flled June 17, 1947 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Nov. 7, 1950 UNITED PREFABRICATED DETACHABLE GUARD RAIL, TRACKS PARTICULARLY FOR MINE Stephen A. Fredrick, Washington Township,

Fayette County, Pa.

Application June 17, 1947, Serial No. 755,202

' 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a prefabricated guard-rail assembly, particularly for mine tracks, adapted for quick installation wherever needed without driving spikes and easily removable for shifting to a new location as desired.

Coal mines are now mechanized to a large extent. Continuity of production is necessary to make profitable operation possible with the high capital investment involved. One of the most frequent causes of stoppage of production is the derailment of trains of mine cars traveling between the entries to the working face and the tipple. Another cause is breakage of the track rails under the great weight of the cutting or loading machines while being moved from room to room. Either of these occurrences results in costly delays and serious curtailment of the tonnage delivered.

Guard rails are extensively used, particularly opposite switch frogs, to prevent derailment. Various types of prefabricated guard-rail assembly havebeen proposed heretofore but have not attained very wide acceptance, so far as I am aware. The usual practice in mines is the same as on railroads, i. e., to spike a length of rail to the ties inside the track rail. I have invented a novel form of guard-rail assembly which is integral and can be secured in place without spikes or other loose parts and may be easily removed when a change in the track layout is made. My invention also has utility as a temporary splice for broken rails, and as a rerailer.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, I provide a length of rail with its ends bent at a small angle to the intermediate portion. Attaching plates are secured to the bottom of the rail and extend laterally therefrom. These plates are adapted to engage the bottom of the track rail flatwise and have means seating on the flange thereof for removably securing the assembly in operative position. The securing means include clamps or plates having raised shoulders seating on oneflange of the track rail and pivoted dogs seating on the, other flange. Diagonal braces extend from the guard rail to the attaching plates.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description and explanation which refer to the accompanying drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiment. In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the guard-rail assembly showing the track rail and ties in dotted lines; and

Figure 2 is a section taken along the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Referring in detail to the drawings, the guardrail assembly indicated generally at 10 comprises a length of rail I I having its ends l2 and I3 bent at a small angle, say 15, to the intermediate portion [4 which is left substantially straight. The ends l2 and I3 are further deformed so that the head of the rail slopes downwardly toward the flange, a short distance from the extreme end, the web being upset or collapsed to the extent necessary.

Attaching plates 55 and [6 are welded to the bottom of the guard rail 1 I. These plates extend transversely of the guard rail and are adapted to have fiatwise engagement with the bottom of a track rail l1 resting on ties I8. The flange of the guard rail 1 I is partly cut away along the intermediate portion M on the side adjacent the track rail H as indicated at I9. Clamp members 2! are welded to the guard rail in edgewise abutment with the remainder of the flange. These clamps are pieces of plate having raised portions or offset shoulders 2| adapted to seat on the flange of the track rail adjacent the guard rail. Dogs 22 are pivoted on the plates l6 and have raised tongues 23 adapted to seat on the flange of the track rail opposite the guard rail. The dogs are secured to the plates I5 and [6 by rivets 24 and have frictional engagement therewith but may be rotated by tapping with a hammer from the disengaged position in which the dogs of the plate l5 are shown in Figure 1 into the operative position in which the dogs of the plate [6 are shown. Diagonal braces 25 extend from the fillet between the head and web of the guard rail H to a point on the attaching plates spaced from the flange of the guard rail and are welded thereto.

It will be apparent that my guard-rail assembly may be easily attached to a track rail in any desired location by turning the dogs to the inoperative position shown at the left in Figure l and inserting the attaching plates 55 and- It below the track rail and causing the clamps 20 to engage one flange thereof. When this has been done, all that is necessary is to tap the dogs 22 with a hammer to turn them to the position shown at the right in Figure l. The assembly is thereby firmly secured to the track rail. At the same time, it may easily be disengaged by turning the dOgs back if it is desired to move the as sembly because of track relocation or other reasons.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention is characterized'by numerous advantages. In the first place, the construction is simple so that the assembly may be fabricated at low cost. In the second place, the assembly may be secured in place without driving spikes or applying bolts or screws; the only operation necessary, in addition to setting the assembly in place, being the turning of the dogs. Removal of the assembly is quite as simple as its installation. There are no holes to be drilled and, since the device is unitary, there are no loose parts to become lost or misplaced. The assembly may be used opposite switch frogs or on curves or any other locations Where derailments are likely to occur.

The invention also has other important advantages. It provides ample clearance between the guard rail and the track rail for the wide flanges of cutting or loading machines so that thelatter may pass without injury to the wheels thereof or the guard-rail assembly. The assembly may be used as a temporary splice bar in case of breakage of a rail under the weight of the loading or cutting machine so that continued travel is permitted, thereby avoiding interruptions to the regular cycle of minin operations- The assembly is also useful as a rerailer. In case of a derailment, it may be placed with one of its ends under the wheels of a derailed car and the other end adjacent the track rail, thereby leading the car wheels back onto the track rails. This function, of course, is aided by the flattened ends of the guard rail.

Finally, the invention effectively serves its principal intended function, i. e., resisting lateral forces tending to cause derailment. The head of the guard rail, of course, is engaged by the flanges of the car Wheels and thus serves to keep them on the track rails. The forces to which the guard rail is subject are transmitted directly through the braces 25 and attaching plates 15 and [6 to the track rail itself which is secured to the ties in the usual manner.

Although I have illustrated and described but a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be recognized that changes in the details of construction disclosed may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

. I claim:

A unitary demountable guard rail and attaching means therefor for use with a flanged track rail supported by spaced ties comprising a guard rail portion having a base adapted to rest upon the ties, attaching portions spaced longitudinally 0n the guard rail portion and extending laterally therefrom, clamping means on the guard rail adapted to engage the upper surface of the flange of the track rail nearerthe guard rail, the attaching portions being adapted to extend beneath the flanged track rail between the ties and at the parts thereof adapted to lie beyond the flanged track rail at the side thereof remote from the guard rail portion having their upper surfaces disposed to liegenerally in the plane of the bottom surface of the flanged track rail, and projecting dogs lying atop said parts of the attaching portions and pivoted thereto adapted to be turned into position to engage the upper surface of the flange of the track rail remote from the guard rail to removably fasten the guard rail to the track rail.

STEPHEN A. FREDRICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 730,151 Phillabaum June 2, 1903 1,024,952 Serrurier Apr. 30, 1912 1,439,090 Gallagher Dec. 19, 1922 1,530,008 Muckley Mar. 17, 1925 1,566,443 Stephens Dec. 22, 1925 

